Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding will be made available to groups such as the Fife Alcohol Advisory Service as a result of the new Plan for Action on alcohol misuse.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is currently considering the Plan for Action on alcohol misuse in the light of the views expressed during consultation earlier this year. As part of work towards the plan, we are developing a framework for alcohol misuse services which will assist in local planning and commissioning.

Asylum Seekers

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has allocated to date to support local authorities, the police, health services and further and higher education as a result of the asylum seekers dispersal programme.

Jackie Baillie: The asylum seekers dispersal programme is a matter for the Home Office since immigration and asylum are reserved. To date existing resources available to local authorities, the police, health services and further and higher education have covered the demands on devolved services arising from the asylum seekers dispersal programme. The position is, of course, being kept under review.

  In September 2001, I announced £700,000 in additional funding for communities across Glasgow, including asylum seekers and refugees. I also announced the Executive’s intention to provide new funding of £1.7 million in the current financial year, and in future financial years, for further education colleges to support a package of new measures which will strengthen the ability of the colleges to provide further education, including language skills. That sum comprises £0.5 million to boost college provision specifically for asylum seekers.

  The package of measures will include the waiving of the residence and settlement criteria which, until now, have governed the ability of a college to claim funding and to reclaim the cost of waived fees; the provision of funding to allow colleges to provide books and support with travel, and a new discretion relating to asylum seekers which will allow colleges to approve continued studies beyond the level of basic courses.

  The decision of the Scottish Executive to provide £1.7 million in extra resources will ensure that existing budgets can continue to be used for their original purpose without detriment to Scottish students.

Bridges

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the local authority responsible for maintaining the Kincardine Bridge prior to the maintenance contract being awarded to Amey Highways Ltd employed a full-time bridge attendant and, if so, whether this was a contractual obligation.

Sarah Boyack: During the term of the previous contract, Falkirk Council maintained Kincardine Bridge on behalf of Forth Local Authority Consortium (FLAC). A council employee was based full-time at the adjacent depot to undertake certain duties in connection with the bridge, the depot and the emergency bridging stock depot at Bandeath.

  There was no contractual requirement for FLAC to appoint a full-time bridge attendant.

Bridges

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any incidents on the Kincardine Bridge involving fire since Amey Highways Ltd became responsible for the maintenance of the bridge and, if so, what type of incidents these were; on what dates the incidents took place; whether staff were on site at the outbreak of the fire or had to attend the incident; whether the emergency services attended, and, if so, whether they had reason to contact the local authority formerly responsible for maintenance on the bridge about the incidents and for what reasons.

Sarah Boyack: There was a fire on the Kincardine Bridge on the evening of 3 August 2001 on the timber jetty in the vicinity of the central pier. An electrical fault is believed to have been the cause and there was local damage to timber members as a result.

  A member of the public using a mobile phone raised the alarm with the fire brigade and police who attended the incident. Emergency procedures are in place between Amey Highways Ltd and the emergency services and these were followed. Amey Highways Ltd staff went to the site on being contacted by the emergency services. I understand that the fire brigade also contacted others, including Falkirk Council and Forth Ports Plc.

Care of the Elderly

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of free personal care it is adopting.

Malcolm Chisholm: In line with the recommendations of the Care Development Group, the Executive will adopt a definition of personal care which endorses that recommended by the Royal Commission and includes psychological support and counselling as follows:

  Personal Hygiene

  Bathing, showering, hair washing, shaving, oral hygiene, nail care.

  Continence Management

  Toileting, catheter/stoma care, skin care, incontinence laundry, bed changing.

  Food and Diet

  Assistance with eating and assistance with special diets. Assistance to manage different types of meal services. Assistance with preparation of food.

  Problems of immobility

  Dealing with the consequences of not being able to move.

  Counselling and support

  Behaviour management, psychological support, reminding devices and safety devices.

  Simple treatments

  Assistance with medication (including eye drops), application of creams and lotions, simple dressings, oxygen therapy.

  Personal assistance

  Assistance with dressings, surgical appliances, prostheses, mechanical and manual aids. Assistance to get up and to go to bed. Transfers including use of a hoist.

Defence

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government to establish how much is currently invested by it in Scotland through defence research contracts and what action the Executive is taking to encourage Her Majesty’s Government to place further defence research contracts in Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence and its agencies on a range of issues, including defence research contracts. Figures for expenditure in Scotland from defence research contracts are not available.

Defence

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14840 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 April 2001, how long it will be before details of meetings with the Defence Diversification Agency can be made publicly available.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government are conducted on a confidential basis. No set deadline can be given for the release of any information arising from such confidential discussions. Under the Scottish Executive’s Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information , information whose disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion, including internal opinion, advice, recommendation, consultation and deliberation is not released.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17362 by Nicol Stephen on 22 August 2001, how many secondary school (a) pupils and (b) staff in each local authority area in Scotland have e-mail addresses at school.

Nicol Stephen: The latest information available is shown in the table. Investment in information and communications technology through the National Grid for Learning programme has continued since September 2000, and the 2001 School Census will provide an updated picture of the provision of e-mail addresses for secondary teachers and pupils.

  Number of pupils and teachers in publicly funded secondary schools with e-mail addresses in each Local Authority

  


Local Authority 
  

Teachers with 
e-mail address 
  

% teachers with 
e-mail address 
  

Pupils with 
e-mail address 
  

% pupils with 
e-mail address 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

241 
  

24.6% 
  

2,099 
  

19.1% 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

964 
  

77.1% 
  

10,384 
  

67.7% 
  



Angus 
  

548 
  

89.4% 
  

6,467 
  

89.7% 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

23 
  

5.0% 
  

143 
  

2.6% 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

104 
  

42.8% 
  

1,040 
  

33.9% 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

821 
  

98.0% 
  

9,747 
  

99.9% 
  



Dundee City 
  

17 
  

2.2% 
  

0 
  

0.0% 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

37 
  

5.9% 
  

0 
  

0.0% 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

240 
  

35.8% 
  

1,210 
  

13.7% 
  



East Lothian 
  

142 
  

32.3% 
  

2,338 
  

44.6% 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

488 
  

86.7% 
  

6,506 
  

89.3% 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

1528 
  

91.2% 
  

17,925 
  

90.5% 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

79 
  

27.3% 
  

432 
  

22.4% 
  



Falkirk 
  

124 
  

18.4% 
  

90 
  

1.1% 
  



Fife 
  

365 
  

20.1% 
  

1,860 
  

8.0% 
  



Glasgow City 
  

812 
  

33.3% 
  

8,207 
  

27.5% 
  



Highland 
  

1034 
  

75.3% 
  

1,788 
  

12.2% 
  



Inverclyde 
  

210 
  

45.6% 
  

5,035 
  

87.2% 
  



Midlothian 
  

459 
  

98.1% 
  

5,026 
  

90.2% 
  



Moray 
  

498 
  

100.0% 
  

5,732 
  

100.0% 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

396 
  

54.5% 
  

4,443 
  

48.4% 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

425 
  

23.6% 
  

3,202 
  

14.1% 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

143 
  

82.7% 
  

1,297 
  

95.4% 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

349 
  

54.4% 
  

4,567 
  

59.1% 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

11 
  

1.2% 
  

1 
  

0.0% 
  



Scottish BORDERs 
  

422 
  

73.6% 
  

4,224 
  

63.1% 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

100 
  

44.6% 
  

1,078 
  

65.7% 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

52 
  

8.7% 
  

583 
  

7.5% 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

1542 
  

98.0% 
  

19,300 
  

95.0% 
  



Stirling 
  

136 
  

30.4% 
  

930 
  

16.2% 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

193 
  

36.0% 
  

2,395 
  

34.8% 
  



West Lothian 
  

715 
  

89.3% 
  

9,238 
  

88.5% 
  



All 
  

13218 
  

50.5% 
  

137,287 
  

43.2% 
  



  Source: SEED Schools Census September 2000.

Emergency Services

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to question S1W-18001 lodged on 7 September 2001, what the greatest scale of nuclear emergency is in preparation for which drills have been carried out; what the nature of the supposed emergency was in this case, and what the outcome of the drill was.

Iain Gray: There is a comprehensive programme of exercises undertaken by MOD and civil agencies which are intended to test a range of scenarios. The largest scale exercise in Scotland in recent years took place at Faslane in November 1997. This involved over 7,500 participants over three days and postulated a fire leading to a radioactive leak from a submarine berthed at Faslane. A number of learning points emerged, as is the purpose of these exercises, and were referred to the appropriate organisations for follow-up action.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the priorities for spending within each of its departmental budgets and what consultation with outside bodies will take place during any such review process.

Angus MacKay: Spending priorities are kept under regular review. These are normally run within the cycle of UK spending reviews. To maximise the output from a fixed budget it is essential that priorities are regularly scrutinised to ensure that they both meet identified needs and are affordable. We consult outside bodies on the budget using the Annual Expenditure Report and the Budget Roadshows. Departments run consultations on a range of issues as required.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions or meetings it has had with other EU member states or European countries which operate national compensation schemes for losses incurred by fish farmers as a result of the compulsory slaughter of farmed fish and what information it has about any such schemes.

Rhona Brankin: No such discussions or meetings have taken place. There has been no detailed research into national compensation schemes, but we understand that there is no common approach.

Genetically Modified Crops

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive who is liable for damage to organic farms and crops resulting from field trials of GM crops.

Ross Finnie: There are currently no provisions in Scots or UK law expressly covering liability for damage caused specifically from fields of genetically modified crops. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, there are powers to prosecute a consent holder where the conditions attached to a consent are breached. Liability in relation to negligence or nuisance would be a matter for the civil courts to determine.

  The European Commission is currently drafting an EU-wide environmental liability directive which will cover possible damage caused by the use of genetically modified organisms.

Hepatitis

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold an inquiry into Fife Health Board’s handling of the recent case of the death of a patient from hepatitis B contracted from a doctor.

Malcolm Chisholm: An Incident Control Team was set up by Fife Health Board in February this year, when the first report of hepatitis B infection was received. A full investigation is currently under way and a report will be submitted to the board once the Incident Control Team have completed their enquiries. The report will then be assessed by the Health Department to see whether further action is needed.

  The Incident Control Team’s report will also be considered by the Advisory Group on Hepatitis (AGH). The AGH provides the UK Health Departments with expert advice on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis. The group will advise on whether any changes are needed to current guidance on screening NHS staff or on handling events of this kind.

  The Executive will take any appropriate action in the light of the group’s advice.

Infectious Salmon Anaemia

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sent to the European Commission for their attention and comment a copy of the European Committee’s 7th Report 2000, Report on a review of the impact of European list 1 designated disease Infectious Salmon Anaemia and list 2 disease Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia on the Scottish aquaculture industry and, if so, when it sent a copy of the report, whether it will place a copy of any reply from the Commission in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and, if no reply has been received, what explanation the Commission has given for the delay in replying and what representations it will be making to the Commission on this matter.

Rhona Brankin: It is the responsibility of Parliament to communicate to the European Commission recommendations of parliamentary committees which are directed towards the European Commission. I understand that this has been done. It will be for Parliament to decide how to deal with the response.

Justice

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of proposals for pilot projects in Manchester and London for night and weekend courts, whether it intends to introduce a similar scheme in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Currently there are no plans to introduce night and weekend courts in Scotland. However, the Scottish Executive will note with interest any lessons to be learned from the pilot projects in England.

Land

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the position of the General Register Office of Scotland that the village of West Kilbride in Ayrshire includes the area known as Seamill or whether Seamill should be a separate village in its own right.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. Using the definition of settlement contained in the publication  Scottish Settlements – Urban and Rural Areas in Scotland (a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre) the General Register Office for Scotland has combined West Kilbride and Seamill into a contiguous urban settlement. Seamill also forms part of the historic Civil Parish of West Kilbride. There is no formal or legal definition of a village—place names are recognised on maps by Ordnance Survey on advice from councils.

Legislation

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the Law of the Tenement to enable the resolution of disputes between owner-occupiers and local authorities where local authorities are the majority landlord in tenement properties.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Law Commission published its Report on the Law of the Tenement (Scot Law Com No 162) in 1998. Following the publication of the subsequent Report on Real Burdens (Scot Law Com No 181) in October 2000, the Executive asked the commission to update its recommendations on the law of the tenement to take account of its subsequent work on real burdens and title conditions. This is because the management of tenements is governed by rules and conditions set out as rights and real burdens in the relevant title deeds. The modernisation and simplification of the law on real burdens will rationalise the application and enforcement of burdens on all property, including tenements. Reforming the law relating to real burdens and title conditions first will mean that reform of the law of the tenement should be more straightforward.

  The Executive has just completed a consultation exercise based on the commission’s draft Title Conditions Bill and the responses are currently being analysed. One of the issues which the consultation has highlighted are the problems which arise in relation to management, maintenance and repair in mixed tenure estates and blocks of flats where the local authority or other social landlord continue to have a significant holding.

MMR Vaccine

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to set up an MMR helpline and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have no plans to set up an MMR helpline. However, in order to provide parents and health professionals with an accessible source of balanced information about MMR, new publicity materials have been developed. A leaflet, poster and discussion pack was issued to health professionals in September. The discussion pack is intended to allow health professionals and parents to consider any issues of concern together, and help parents make an informed choice about the health of their child.

Meat Industry

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to review arrangements for the transportation of livestock.

Ross Finnie: European Community Directive 91/628EC which underpins the transport of animals legislation in this country is presently being reviewed. The Executive shall take every opportunity to press for stricter enforcement throughout the EU and for the highest possible standards to be built into the directive.

Meat Industry

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to re-opening local slaughterhouses and adopting a policy of transportation of carcases only.

Ross Finnie: Most areas of rural Scotland producing prime stock are generally well served by abattoirs. Although the financial viability of abattoirs is key, my department would be happy to consider proposals from commercial concerns for establishing alternative facilities under its capital and non-capital grant schemes.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether rehabilitation in open prisons will be made available to female prisoners prior to their release as is the case with male prisoners.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS is currently evaluating the need for such a facility.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated underspend of the Scottish Prison Service is in 2001-02.

Mr Jim Wallace: £8-12 million.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Prison Service did not spend its allocated budgets for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and why resources available from the underspend were not reallocated to tackle any issues of overcrowding and staff morale.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  The underspend in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 was primarily due to the timing of expenditure on committed capital projects, including investment in prisoner accommodation and improved staff facilities. In both years, the full underspend was carried forward into the following financial year as end-year flexibility funding and was therefore available for spending by SPS on the full range of its activities.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all projects in the Scottish Prison Service’s capital building programme scheduled for completion in 2001-02 will be completed on schedule.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  SPS anticipate that all projects in the SPS’s capital building programme scheduled for completion in 2001-02 will be completed on schedule.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what total fees will be paid for the employment of external consultants for the Scottish Prison Service’s Estates Review.

Mr Jim Wallace: The total estimated fees for scope of works are £100,000 (ex VAT).

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to provide funding and facilities to address sexual behaviour problems among short- and long-term prisoners.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  SPS already provides accredited programmes called STOP 2000 to address sexual offending for long-term and short-term prisoners and for young offenders in several locations and facilities are constantly being improved.

  SPS is also in the process of developing a range of programmes for sexual offenders and is ensuring that such developments are in line with the recommendations in the Cosgrove and MacLean Reports. SPS expects to be able to achieve this within existing SPS resources.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources allocated to the Scottish Prison Service for its capital building programme in the current financial year are expected to remain unspent.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  SPS anticipate that £8-12 million of the capital building programme in 2001-02 will be incurred in the next financial year due to the profile of construction expenditure.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give priority to the ending of slopping out in prisons and bring forward proposals to end this practice before 2005.

Mr Jim Wallace: Slopping out is a priority issue being addressed by the Estates Review, which will contain options for ending this unacceptable practice.

Road Accidents

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many personal injury accidents occurred on the A91 between (a) Stirling and Milnathort and (b) Milnathort and St Andrews in each of the past five years.

Sarah Boyack: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form.

  It should be noted that the statistics given in the table are based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authority would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

  The table gives the numbers of injury road accidents which were identified in the STATS 19 returns as occurring on the A91 between (a) Stirling (junction with the A905) and Milnathort (junction with the A911 and A922) and between (b) Milnathort (junction 8 of the M90) and St Andrews (junction with the A917) over the period 1996 to 2000 inclusive.

  


Year 
  

Injury road accidents which occurred on 
  the A91 between Stirling and Milnathort 
  

Injury road accidents which occurred on 
  the A91 between Milnathort and St Andrews 
  



1996 
  

23 
  

32 
  



1997 
  

38 
  

30 
  



1998 
  

32 
  

37 
  



1999 
  

28 
  

27 
  



2000 
  

30 
  

30

Roads

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in procuring the construction of the M77 Fenwick to Malletsheugh scheme.

Sarah Boyack: In partnership with East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire Councils, we are currently considering taking forward the M77 jointly with Glasgow Southern Orbital (GSO) as a Public/Private Partnership (PPP) contract. Statutory schemes and orders have been made and land has been purchased covering the main requirements of the M77. Similarly, Scottish ministers have granted planning consent and confirmed a Compulsory Purchase Order for the GSO. Following an initial review of the PPP option, a list of contractors has been selected from whom tenders can be invited.

Roads

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the proposed Glasgow South Orbital Route and what its projected completion date is.

Sarah Boyack: The Glasgow Southern Orbital is being promoted as part of a joint scheme with the M77. I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-17800 (answered today) and 17801 (answered on 24 September 2001).

Roads

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has compared the level of service provided by Amey Highways Ltd in respect of the maintenance of trunk roads with that provided by the local authorities previously responsible for this work.

Sarah Boyack: The level of service required from Operating Companies in respect of the trunk road maintenance contracts is defined within the contract. Differing conditions of contract make direct comparisons with the previous operators difficult. However, work undertaken by the Performance Audit Group (Halcrow in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers) shows that Amey Highways Ltd is performing at least as well as the previous operators at the same stage in the earlier contracts.

Scots Language

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what joint action it plans to take with Her Majesty’s Government to comply with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of the Scots language.

Allan Wilson: The Executive does not consider any joint action is necessary to comply with the Charter in respect of the Scots language.

Scots Language

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy to increase the numbers of speakers of Scots and, if so, how this policy is being implemented.

Allan Wilson: The Executive has not formulated a policy on the number of speakers of Scots.

Scots Language

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for the number of speakers of Scots in (a) 2011 and (b) 2021.

Allan Wilson: The Executive has not set targets for the number of Scots speakers.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement on 10 August 2001 of a rationalisation of its agriculture and animal health offices in central Scotland, what consultation it undertook with the farming community in the Stirling area prior to the decision to close its office in the town.

Ross Finnie: There were no formal consultations with local farming communities about the rationalisation of the department’s agricultural offices.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17518 by Ross Finnie on 29 August 2001, what the financial savings will be from closing each of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department offices in Dundee and Forfar.

Ross Finnie: Keeping the Dundee office open, but closing those at Stirling and Forfar would incur additional annual running costs of around £110,000.

  Keeping the Forfar office open, but closing those at Stirling and Dundee was not considered to be a practical proposition and therefore no figures are available for this option.

Scottish Executive Publications

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the publication and launch of documents on a Sunday.

Mr Tom McCabe: Decisions on the timing of publications are taken on a case-by-case basis but Sunday publications would be extremely rare.

Scottish Executive Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17548 by Angus MacKay on 6 September 2001, which organisations the 126 staff who were on secondment during the period May 1999 to July 2001, and whose salary costs the receiving organisation met, were on secondment to.

Angus MacKay: Further to the answer provided to question S1W-17548, I can confirm that the organisations of the 126 staff on secondment during the period May 1999 to July 2001 whose salary costs were met by the receiving organisation are as follows:

  Audit Scotland

  Cairngorm Partnership

  Child Support Agency

  Civil Service College in Scotland

  Common Services Agency

  COSLA

  European Commission

  Fife Enterprise

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  Information Technology Services Agency

  IPMS

  Lord President’s Office

  Lothian Health

  Meat Hygiene Service

  Public and Commercial Services Union

  Scottish and Newcastle

  Scottish Archive Network Project

  Scottish Arts Council

  Scottish Chambers of Commerce

  Scottish Council Development and Industry

  Scottish Criminal Records Office

  Scottish Enterprise

  Scottish Financial Enterprise

  Scottish Football Association

  Scottish Homes

  Scottish Natural Heritage

  Scottish Parliament

  Scottish University for Industry

  Sportscotland

  Strathclyde University

  The Household of HRH The Prince of Wales

  Water Industry Commissioners

  West Lothian NHS Trust.

  Scottish and Newcastle, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Scottish Council Development and Industry and Scottish Financial Enterprise all paid a contribution towards the salary costs of the secondment during the period stated.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff were directly involved in the monitoring of social inclusion partnerships in each year since each partnership was established.

Ms Margaret Curran: Two officials from Area Regeneration Division are directly involved in the monitoring of each social inclusion partnership each year. In addition, they are supported by financial staff, administrative staff, senior managers and other professional staff.

Telecommunications

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population in (a) Scotland, (b) each parliamentary region and (c) each local authority area (i) live in areas where access to asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology is possible and (ii) have ADSL installed and how the figures for the whole of Scotland compares to the equivalent percentages in each European Union country and in Wales, Northern Ireland and each English region.

Ms Wendy Alexander: BT is carrying out the upgrading of exchanges to allow access to ADSL on a commercial basis, based on the company’s analysis of demand at a local level. Currently between 34% and 38% of households in Scotland are in areas served by ADSL-enabled exchanges, compared with an estimated 60% within the UK as a whole. Approximately 42% of the central belt population (Central, Lothian and Strathclyde) are served by an ADSL-enabled exchange. BT has indicated that the lower figure in Scotland reflects a relatively lower demand and higher deployment costs. Demand for ADSL is still very low in Scotland, the UK and across Europe as a whole.

  BT has an extensive copper-based local network, making them the only telco in Scotland in a position to offer their own ADSL product. However, ADSL is not the only higher-speed telecoms service available residentially. Cable modem is also available to a significant percentage of households, and broadband fixed wireless access licences are expected to be available shortly. Satellite coverage has potential for remoter areas, and BT has recently launched a UK-wide broadband satellite service from which the Highlands & Islands will be the first to benefit with service available from November.

  The 54 Scottish BT exchanges due to be ADSL-enabled by September are listed by parliamentary constituency:

  Scottish ADSL-Enabled Exchanges By End September 2001

  


Constituency 
  

Exchange Name 
  



Aberdeen Central 
  

Denburn 
  



Lochnagar 
  



Aberdeen North 
  



Aberdeen North 
  

Balgownie 
  



Dyce 
  



Aberdeen South 
  

Kincorth 
  



Aberdeen West 
  



Ayr 
  

Ayr 
  



Clydebank and Milngavie 
  

Clydebank 
  



Cumbernauld and Kilsyth 
  

Cumbernauld 
  



Dumfries 
  

Dumfries 
  



Dunfermline West 
  

Dunfermline 
  



East Kilbride 
  

East Kilbride 
  



Eastwood 
  

Giffnock 
  



Edinburgh Central 
  

Donaldson 
  



Fountainbridge 
  



Edinburgh East and Musselburgh 
  

Portobello 
  



Abbeyhill 
  



Musselburgh 
  



Edinburgh North and Leith 
  

Waverley 
  



Rose Street 
  



Leith 
  



Granton 
  



Edinburgh Pentlands 
  

Craiglockhart 
  



Edinburgh South 
  

Liberton 
  



Morningside 
  



Newington 
  



Edinburgh West 
  

Dean 
  



Glasgow Anniesland 
  

Scotstoun 
  



Glasgow Cathcart 
  

Croftfoot 
  






Merrylee 
  






Langside 
  



Glasgow Govan 
  

Pollock 
  






Govan 
  






Ibrox 
  






Glasgow South 
  



Glasgow Kelvin 
  

Glasgow Western 
  






Glasgow Central 
  






Douglas 
  



Glasgow Maryhill 
  

Maryhill 
  



Glasgow Pollok 
  

Glasgow Halfway 
  



Glasgow Rutherglen 
  

Rutherglen 
  



Glasgow Shettleston 
  

Bridgeton 
  



Hamilton South 
  

Blantyre 
  






Hamilton 
  



Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber 
  

Inverness Macduih 
  



Kilmarnock and Loudoun 
  

Kilmarnock 
  



Livingston 
  

Livingston Station 
  



Midlothian 
  

Dalkeith 
  



Motherwell and Wishaw 
  

Motherwell 
  



Paisley North 
  

Paisley 
  






Renfrew 
  



Perth 
  

Perth 
  



Stirling 
  

Stirling 
  



  ADSL coverage per Scottish region by September 2001 is as follows*:

  


BORDERs 
  

0% 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

6% 
  



Strathclyde 
  

41% 
  



Lothian 
  

56% 
  



Central Scotland 
  

14% 
  



Tayside 
  

6% 
  



Grampian 
  

30% 
  



Highland 
  

14% 
  



Western Isles 
  

0% 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

0% 
  



Shetland Isles 
  

0% 
  



Total in Scotland 
  

34% 
  



  *Households covered by ADSL by Region as % of total households. Figures supplied by BT.

  Figures for take-up by exchange are commercially confidential. However, of the ADSL lines currently available in Scottish enabled exchanges, 23% are taken up. This represents an average of approximately 0.4-5% of the total telecoms lines (including PSTN and ISDN) within enabled exchanges, as compared with 0.5% in enabled exchanges within the UK as a whole.

  The following table shows estimated ADSL coverage and take-up across the UK (both as a percentage of total households) compiled from research currently in hand for the Office of the E-Envoy (OEE).

  ADSL Coverage & Take-Up – UK Regions

  





Coverage 
  

Take-up 
  



East Midlands 
  

61% 
  

0.2% 
  



East of England 
  

59% 
  

0.3% 
  



London 
  

99% 
  

0.3% 
  



North East 
  

73% 
  

0.2% 
  



North West 
  

68% 
  

0.2% 
  



Northern Ireland 
  

44% 
  

0.1% 
  



Scotland 
  

38% 
  

0.1% 
  



South East 
  

74% 
  

0.4% 
  



South West 
  

47% 
  

0.2% 
  



Wales 
  

37% 
  

0.1% 
  



West Midlands 
  

71% 
  

0.2% 
  



Yorkshire and Humberside 
  

57% 
  

0.2% 
  



  Figures for ADSL coverage and take-up in every EU member state are not readily available. The OEE research above includes estimated figures for EU countries as follows (as a percentage of total households):

  ADSL Coverage & Take-Up – European Comparisons

  





Coverage 
  

Take-up (includes cable-modem) 
  



France 
  

55% 
  

2% 
  



Germany 
  

90% 
  

3% 
  



Ireland 
  

1% 
  

0.2% 
  



Italy 
  

80% 
  

1% 
  



Sweden 
  

60% 
  

7% 
  



UK 
  

60% 
  

0.5%

Tobacco Advertising

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a ban on tobacco promotion and advertising as prioritised in Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government.

Susan Deacon: The Executive will ban tobacco advertising in Scotland as soon as we can do so effectively and comprehensively. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16599.